Packaging arrangement with transport device

ABSTRACT

The invention is related to a packaging arrangement, comprising a transport device for transporting products in a first position oriented in a production direction, and for selectively rotating the products into a different position relative to the production direction.

The invention relates to a packaging arrangement or packaging assembly comprising a transport device for transporting products according to the preamble of claim 1, and to a method according to claim 11.

For cut bacon slices constituting portions, which are placed on a so-called L-board and then packaged in a packaging machine in an airtight way, there are regionally differing markets. These markets differ in the portion of the cut bacon being arranged in different orientations on the L-board. The L-board serves as a stable support for the product and the subsequent production process, and it also serves for a stabilization of the later packaging. The L-board can be a coated plate of cardboard, which comprises a bending line in order to fold back the portion, which is not covered by the product, back onto the product itself. Thereby, a portion of the product is covered. In a first position, the short side of the L-board is folded onto the portion of the product with the higher fat content, and in a second position of the portion, the L-board is folded onto the fatless portion, in order to visualize the portion with the high fat content. Slicing machines can often only produce portions with a single stacking orientation. When combining the portion of the bacon with the L-board during which the portion is placed onto the L-board, it is common to provide the L-board in different orientations, or to rotate the portion of bacon by means of a robot system by 180° prior to placing same onto the L-board. Compared to belt systems, however, robots are less efficient and very expensive. The L-board with the portion is then commonly forwarded to a deep drawing packaging machine and packaged in an airtight manner.

The object of the invention is to provide a constructively simple possibility for changing a direction of the product portions.

This object is solved by a packaging arrangement comprising a transport device with the features of claim 1, or by a method according to claim 11, respectively. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are referred to in the dependent claims.

The packaging arrangement according to the invention comprises a transport device for transporting products, which is located upstream relative to a production direction in front of a sealing or closing station of a packaging machine, e.g. a deep drawing packaging machine. The transport device is adapted to selectively transport the products in a first orientation in the production direction, and for rotating the products into a second orientation opposite the production direction. This allows a packaging with different orientation of a portion, e.g. with stacked (shingled), cut slices of bacon, onto an L-board with subsequent airtight packaging on the packaging machine. The orientation of the L-board relative to the production direction and the mechanical devices for supplying the L-board and for folding a leg of the L-board can be maintained irrespective of the orientation of the product portion, and no rebuilding or retooling of the packaging arrangement are necessary.

Preferably, the transport device is adapted for rotating the products or portions by 45°, 90°, or 180°, preferably around a vertical axis. Thereby, a substantially horizontal transport plane is maintained, and a product is rotated into the transport direction or opposite the transport direction, respectively.

In a preferred embodiment, the transport device comprises at least three transport belts, preferably four transport belts.

Preferably, the transport device comprises two transport belts orthogonally to two further transport belts, all arranged in a common transport plane. Here, the two further transport belts are provided for transporting products in the production direction without any rotation. All transport belts can support one or several products and transport these products further in the production direction after a rotation by 45°, 90°, or 180° by means of the transport device. After rotation, the orientation of the product differs from the original orientation.

In a preferred embodiment, the transport device comprises two first transport belts and two additional transport belts orthogonal to the first transport belts, and arranged one belt to either side of the first transport belts. The first two transport belts transport the products without any change in the orientation along the production direction. Each transport belt can accommodate products delivered from a delivering transport means, and supply the products after a rotation by means of the transport device to a subsequent transport means in a rather simple manner.

The transport belts of the transport device are preferably reversible in their transport direction. This allows them to accept products on one end of the respective transport belt, and to deliver the products on the same end, but after a rotation by means of the transport device. To this effect, the transport belts are preferably drivable by servo motors, because these drives have a high dynamic range and allow a precise positioning of the products on the transport belts.

All belts are preferably located within a circle or within a circumference of a circle, in order to allow a similar position of all ends of the transport belts distal from the symmetry axis in their relation to preceding and subsequent transport means for a transfer of the products, wherein the transport belts should have a minimized distance to the other transport means.

Preferably, the transport belts are commonly rotatable by 45°, 90°, and/or 180°, in order to allow the use of simple positioning means such as pneumatic cylinders, or to be able to use a limit stop arrangement with 45° or 90° increments. Alternatively, a servo motor can be used as the drive for the rotary movement, this servo motor having a high dynamic range.

It is particularly advantageous if the transport device comprises a rotary disc, a rotary cross, or a rotary polygon with a vertical rotary axis, which is a symmetry axis of the rotary disc, the rotary cross, or the rotary polygon, respectively. For the rotation, this would lead to substantially equally distributed masses, which would be advantageous for a dynamic rotation. The rotary disc, the rotary cross, or the rotary polygon, respectively, could support the transport belts of the transport device and effect their rotation.

A method for operating a packaging assembly according to the invention is characterized in that a rotary disc of a transport device is rotatable between at least four positions, in order to selectively transport products along the transport device with or without a change in the orientation of the product relative to the production direction. This brings along the advantage of a flexibly usable transport device for selectively transporting products without a change of the orientation of the product, or selectively with a change of the orientation, preferably by 180°. A variant is conceivable in which an intermediate belt is e.g. orthogonally arranged relative to a supply belt, and the rotating disc merely performs a 90° rotation, in order to transfer the product onto the intermediate belt.

Preferably, a transport belt accepts products from a supply belt, while simultaneously another transport belt delivers products onto the intermediate belt, in order to avoid an unnecessary reduction of productivity of the packaging assembly.

In a preferred embodiment, the transport device performs a rotation by 90° after each exception of at least one product by the transport belt, if a change of the orientation of the product opposite the production direction is desired.

In a different embodiment with eight transport belts, a rotation by 45° is provided.

In the following, advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in more detail by reference to a drawing.

FIG. 1 a shows a schematic top view onto a packaging arrangement according to the invention with a transport device in a first position,

FIG. 1 b shows a schematical top view on a packaging arrangement according to the invention with the transport device in a second position,

FIG. 2 shows a schematical top view onto an alternative transport device in a first position,

FIG. 3 a is similar to FIG. 2, but in a second position,

FIG. 3 b is similar to FIG. 2, but in a third position,

FIG. 4 shows a variation of the transport device,

FIG. 5 shows a variation of the transport device,

FIG. 6 shows a variation of the transport device with eight transport belts and

FIG. 7 shows a variation of the transport device according to FIG. 1 with two vertically movable transport belts arranged one on top of the other.

Similar components are referred to throughout the figures with identical reference numerals.

FIG. 1 a shows a packaging arrangement or packaging assembly 1 according to the invention with a schematically represented packaging machine 2, an intermediate belt 3, a transport device 4 and a supply belt 5. The transport device 4 comprises a transport belt 6 and reaches from the supply belt 5 to the intermediate belt 3. The transport device 4 is shown in FIG. 1 in a first position, and orientated in a production direction R. The transport belt 6 takes part in a rotary movement around a central, vertical axis, and is arranged in a common transport plane (e.g. the plane of the drawing) with the two other belts 3, 5.

Products 10, shown in the figures as a portion of four cut and stacked, shingled slices of food, are produced on a slicing machine (not shown) and guided on the supply belt 5 to the transport device 4 in regular or irregular mutual intervals. In the first position of the transport device 4, the products 10 are transferred from the supply belt 5 onto the first transport belt 6, and the transport belt 6 transfers the products in their identical orientation onto the intermediate belt 3. Subsequent to the intermediate belt 3, the products 10 can be brought together with L-boards, preferably before both are commonly supplied to a packaging machine 2.

FIG. 1 b shows the transport belt 6 with the products arranged on this belt, after the belt has been rotated by 180°, such that the products can be delivered onto the intermediate belt 3 in opposing orientation.

FIG. 2 shows an alternative transport device 4 with a circular rotating disc 15. A first transport belt 7 a and a second transport belt 7 b of the transport device 4 together almost have the same length as the diameter of the rotating disc 15, reaching from the supply belt 5 to the intermediate belt 3. Two further transport belts 8 and 9 are arranged orthogonally to the transport belts 7 a, 7 b and directed towards the center of the rotating disc 15. In FIG. 2, the transport belt 4 is in a first position, orientated in the production direction R.

Products 10 are supplied on the supply belt 5 to the transport device 4 in regular or irregular mutual distances or intervals. In the first position of the transport device 4 in FIG. 2, the products 10 are transferred from the supply belt 5 onto the first transport belt 7 a, subsequently transferred onto the second transport belt 7 b; and the second transport belt 7 b transfers the products in identical orientation onto the intermediate belt 3. Subsequent to intermediate belt 3, the products 10 can be brought together with the L-boards, preferably before both are commonly supplied to a packaging machine 2.

FIG. 3 a shows the transport device 4 of FIG. 2 in a second position, in which the rotating disk 15 is rotated relative to the first position by 90° around a central, vertical rotating axis 12. Here, the third transport belt 8 faces the supply belt 5, and the fourth transport belt 9 faces the intermediate belt 3. The third transport belt 8 accepts at least one product 10 from the supply belt 5, preferably in a mode of operation with synchronized velocity with the supply belt 5.

After completing the transfer, the rotary disk 15 of the transport device 4 repeatedly rotates by 90°, preferably in a clockwise direction (see the arrow around the rotary axis 12) into a third position, such that the portion 10, as indicated in FIG. 3 b, is arranged on the first transport belt 7 a in an orientation opposite to the production direction R. The transport belt 7 a transfers the product 10 onto the intermediate belt 3 in the production direction R. During this transfer, the second transport belt 7 b takes over another product 10 from the supply belt 5. Hence, during each cycle, which is repeated after a 90° rotation of the rotary disk 15, products 10 are taken over from the supply belt 5, and simultaneously products 10 are transferred onto the intermediate belt 3. The rotary axis 12 is located in the center of the rotary disk 15. All transport belts 3, 5, 7 a, 7 b, 8, 9 are driven by servo-motors 16.

Thereby, products 10 can be transported by the transport device 4 (see FIGS. 2, 3 a, 3 b) in the production direction R selectively without any change in their orientation in a first position, or with a change of the orientation by cyclically rotating the transport belts 7 a, 7 b, 8, 9. This flexibly useable transport device 4 is also conceivable for a plurality of rows of products 10 to be transported, and it is not limited to a single product or portion 10 as shown in the drawings.

FIG. 4 shows a variation of the transport device 4 with a rotary polygon 11 instead of a rotary disk 15, the rotary axis 12 being provided in the center point of the rotary polygon 11.

Alternatively to a rotary disk 15, FIG. 5 shows a rotary cross 13, which is constituted by four transport belts 7 a, 7 b, 8, 9.

FIG. 6 shows a further variation of a transport device 4 according to the invention with eight transport belts. Here, the rotation is performed in 45° steps, in order to be able to transport products in the production direction with an orientation rotated by 180°. The first and the second transport belts 7 a, 7 b can transport products without any change of orientation, when the first and second transport belts 7 a, 7 b are oriented in the production direction.

FIG. 7 shows a variation of the transport device 4 of FIG. 1 with two transport belts 7 and 17 arranged one above the other, which are rotatable together (or optionally separately) by 180° around the rotary axis 12. Both transport belts 7, 17 are coupled by means of a coupling 18, and vertically adjustable between two positions. In these positions, either the upper transport belt 7, or the lower transport belt 17 is arranged on the same height as the supply belt 5.

While a transport belt 7, 17 accepts products 10 from the supply belt 5, the other transport belt delivers products to the intermediate belt 3, which itself is positionable between two positions. The intermediate belt 3 pivots about a horizontal axis, which is arranged downstream, in order to ensure that the upstream end of the intermediate belt 3 can accept products from the transport belt 7 (upward arrow, upper position), or to accept products from the transport belt 17 (downward arrow, lower position), respectively.

In an analogous way, transport belts arranged above each other as in FIG. 7 can also be provided in the other embodiments of FIGS. 2 to 6. 

1-13. (canceled)
 14. A packaging arrangement comprising a transport device for transporting products, the transport device being arranged upstream in relation to a production direction before a closing station of a packaging machine and adapted for transporting the products in a first orientation relative to the production direction, and for selectively rotating the products into a second orientation relative to the production direction.
 15. The packaging arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the transport device is adapted for rotating the products into a second orientation of 45°, 90° or 180° relative to the production direction.
 16. The packaging arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the transport device is adapted for transporting the products along a generally horizontal axis and rotating the products around a generally vertical axis.
 17. The packaging arrangement according claim 14, wherein the transport device comprises at least two transport belts.
 18. The packaging arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the transport device comprises four transport belts.
 19. The packaging arrangement according to claim 18, wherein the transport device comprises two transport belts each arranged orthogonally to two further transport belts in a common transport plane.
 20. The packaging arrangement according to claim 19, wherein the transport device comprises two transport belts, which have a common orientation, and additionally two transport belts arranged to either side of the first transport belts.
 21. The packaging arrangement according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the transport belts of the transport device is reversible in its transport direction.
 22. The packaging arrangement according claim 17, wherein the transport belts are drivable by means of servo-motors.
 23. The packaging arrangement according to claim 17, wherein all transport belts are arranged within or at the circumference of a circle.
 24. The packaging arrangement according claim 17, wherein the transport belts are rotatable together by 45°, 90° and/or 180°.
 25. The packaging arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the transport device comprises a rotary disk, a rotary cross or a rotary polygon.
 26. A method for operating a packaging arrangement that includes a transport device for transporting products, the transport device being arranged upstream in a relation to a product direction before a closing station of a packaging machine, the method including the steps of rotating the transport device between at least four positions in order to transport products selectively without or with a change in their orientation relative to a production direction along the transport device.
 27. The method according to claim 26 wherein the transport device includes a supply belt, at least two transport belts, and an intermediate belt, wherein the supply belt is located upstream from the at least two transport belts, and the intermediate belt is located downstream from the at least two transport belts, and wherein the method further includes the steps of accepting products from the supply belt onto one of the at least two transport belts while simultaneously delivering products from another of the at least two transport belts to the intermediate belt.
 28. The method according to claim 27 further including the step of rotating the product by 90° from its orientation on the supply belt when the product is received by one of the at least two transport belts from the supply belt. 